Per Brandstedt

Per Brandstedt is a native of Mariestad Sweded and his path into the world of wood crafts started in the early 1970s. While working with a retired carpenter/builder who did repair work and additions he was fascinated by the building techniques used in traditional Scandinavian wood architecture. He reconsidered his physics major at Chalmers University in Gothenburg Sweden and instead started to search for ways to make a living using wood crafts. His original fascination with traditional wood crafts techniques and workmanship is still evident in his work although his own technique has been refined during 25 years of designing making and most importantly travelling to see the work of other craftsmen.

An important aspect of his work is the handling of the wood material. He aims to bring out the best of the many different qualities of the wood in the objects that he makes. Not only obvious visual characteristics but often more subtle qualities of scent sound and the sensation of shape and surface in the hands of the person handling an object are crucial for ones experience of the object. Regarding shape colouring and detailing his work is often kept low key to help bring out as many of these qualities as possible. “A growing consciousness of the relationship between ones impressions and experience of life and the influence that this has in ones work has brought about a shift in focus in the work I have done in the past few years.” Repeating geometrical patterns in relief art pieces and abstract organic patterns in combination with classic urn shapes have been used in creating free craft art pieces in recent bodies of his work.